I did no jazz birthday yesterday. I’m doing only artists whose music I know and whose bio is accessible. Highly talented alto saxophonist Art Pepper developed his musical ability via a distinctive light sound, not too loud and not too full, a sound that matched his melodic style that is simpler than hard bop. It’s a more cool West Coast sound. His playing, while not wild, conveys intense emotion and sometimes a quality of trying to express the inexpressible. It’s easy to like — and beautiful, and it always swings. Sometimes alto sax sounds whiny or hard, but Pepper’s tone … Continue reading Jazz Birthday: Art Pepper (1925)